Dust-guard for journal-boxes.



To" inay coztcern): i e

Beitknown'tha't I, PATRICK J .VHARRVIGAN, &' citizen-of the United States of'America, re-

'atiMcKeesport, in the county of Alle- E ghe'ny, and State of Pennsylvania, have .invented certain new and useful Improvements" in Dust-Guards for Journal-Boxes, of which the following is. a specification, reference be- Li "ing had thereintO the accompanying draws ings.

' 5 "This'invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in dust-protectors for "'K-joiirnal-boxes; and the invention has for its primary objectto provide anovel form of selfr5' i I rolling-stock adjusting" protector forthe journal-boxes of ifAnother object of t-his invention is to pro- 1 videadust-protector which will permit of a thor'oughlubrication of that portion ofan axle {entering theLjournal-box, at the same time excluding all dust and dirt from the journalbox, thereby providing a smooth bearing upon the axle and preve'ntin the journal-bearing 'frorn'bccominggrounc or worn from the small particlesl-th at may enter the journals v To this end I have devised a novel two-part dust prote'ctor which may adjust itself to the spindle or journal end of an axle irrespective of the position thejournal-boX assumes rela- 'tive tojsaid'axle, a bei g a l W th'atpthe jarring of rolling-stock when in mo- 7 non causes'fa slight yet perceptible moveinent between the journal-box and the axle. I T he dust-protector is constructed whereby it will "normally engage'the axle and the rear face'ofthe journal-box and prevent the dirt az'icl dust from entering the journal-box and in any manner interfering'With the perfect anger the EiXleg being tho'ro' iighly lub cooperation oftl' 'e difierent parts of the jourr constructed whereby sof itmaybe v renewed when being had to UNITED STATE A EN FICE:

lie numerals of reference Specification of'Iietters'Patent. Patented magnets. h Application filed anuary 22,1908. Serial No. 29 7317. 7 i 7 1H5 designate corresponding the several views, in which i Figure 1 is a vertical sectional-view of a journal-box having the end of an aide gu naled therein, illustrating my improved-dust- Fig. 5 is a detailsectional viewof a portion of the dust-protector. v p In the accompanying drawings I haveillustrated a conventional form of journal-box 1,

a l threatenembodying a dust-protecting casing 2, having transverse openings 3 3 formed therein to enrnit of the contracted or spindle end 440 an axle protruding .therethrough, The journal'- boX is formed with a customary lubricant and waste receptacle 5,- also the journal-stop.

supports 6 6, which have been the subjectmatter of another application, filed January 22, 1906, Serial No. 297,218. I The present invention relates to a dustprotector which is mounted in the casing 2 fof the journal-box, and in practice I construct the dust-protector of two metallic plates '2 and 8, the upper plate being slightly smaller than the lower plate 8. The upper edges of the plate 8- are provided with lugs 9 9, which form guideways for the plate 7, whereby said plate may slide downwardly upon the face'of the plate 8. The plates 7 and 8 are provided with semicircular openings 10 and 1 1,"respec ed to en agfejthe periphery of the contracted or spindle end 4 of an axle. The Babbitt metal forming the, ribs 15 and 16 is preferably secured toth'e plates 7 and 8' by providing said plates witha plurality of openings 17 adjac'e nt tof the edges of the semicircular 1 openings 10 and Q11, and when molding the bbitt' metal "upon the plates a portionl'of e metal is permitted to enter the openin s f7 and form a'headllB upon the oppositesi e of the: plates, whereby the Babbitt; metalwill be firmly held in engagement with; saidpl g I v e EitQS. The rib 1 6 of the plate is provid'ed tivelyfin their confronting edges, and the ab double an enlargement 19 upon its lower edge, into which protrudes" the end '20 of=a double-ace ing spring 21. The spring 21 is formed by bending a piece of wire'intotwo loops '22 and 23 and bybending the supporting'end 24 of ,thespring out of alinement with the end of the spring. The spring 21 is mounted in the bottom of the casing 2, the bearing end 24 being adapted to rest upon the bottom of mo thecasing while the end 20 enga es the rib 16 I 'of the plate 8. In so lacing t e spring 21 within the casing 2 the e'arin end 24 of the springwill engage the rear wa 25 of the casgijgl, while the opposite end 20 of the spring enteringthe-opening 3 of the. front wall and passingdownwardly into the casing 2.

By referring to Fi s. land 3 ofthe drawings it will be noted t at the upper end of thecasing 2 is open, whichpermits of easy access s, being had to the periphery of the contracted for spindle end 4 ofan axle, and within the casing 2 [and upon the axle waste. will be placed which will befsaturated with a suitable lubricating-oil to insure an easy opera- 35 tion of the {end of the axle within the journalboxen- Heretofore two-part boards or wooden lates have-been used in the casings 2, these boards or plates entirely filling the space be- 40 tween the walls 25 and 26 of the casing-and preventing a lubricant from :being placed in. thetopv o- -the rear half of the journal-box. Consequently that portion of the j ournalbearim 27 nearest the wheel mounted upon 5' the axl e of the journal-boxis less lubricated and causes the rear end of the journal-bearing to Wear more speedily than the forward end. I Myinventionaims to obviate this defect'by making rovision for a lubricant to enter the journa -box at the rear end of the journal-bearingand, together with the waste and-lubricant placed within the receptacle 5, insures an'easy bearing of the axle within the journal-box; 'By'p'rovi the plates 7 and 8 with Babbitt metal or-t e-like soft: material the bearedges f' the plates 7 and 8 can' be re- ,newe'd from time to time without i pensing with the plates 7 and 8, thus per tting of said plates bein used -for-a considerable periodlof time. 's thejplate 7 is adjustably mountedupon theplate 8, said plate may descend by gravity and quickly recede, accord ing to the movement of the contracted end 6 or snindle 4 of an axle,while the sprin 21 is adapted to follow the axle on the same movement. upwardly, thereby insuring a snug engagement of the plates 7 and 8 with the axle and preventing dirt or dust from entering the openings' 3 of the journal-box. v

The dust protector or guard prevents a lubricant or oil from issuing or unduly-wasting from the back of the j ournal-box, and. by the construction of the guard or protector the top can be easily remb'ved when the brass and j ournal-key of the box are to betaken out. w The guard or protector ma be constructed of lead, vulcanized fiber, or t e like material,

and any suitable composition may be used in lieupf Babbitt metal.

Ido not care to confine myself to the t i e of j ournal-box in connection with WlfiGhfXEfl dust-protector is used. 1

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 1. The combination with a journal-box having a casing, and an axle extending through said casing, of a two-part protector mounted within said casing and surrounding said axle, one of said parts being slidably mounted in lugs carried by the other of said parts, a double-acting spring having a lateral extension at its lower end, said springbeing mounted in the bottom of said casing and exerting pressure in a vertical and in a lateral direction and engaging the lowermost part of said protector, said spring bein adapted to hold the lowermost part'iii an elevated position, and the protector in its entirety against the end wall of said casing, and Babbitt metal carried by said protector and engaging said axle, substantially as described. a

2. The combination with a journaL-box having a protector-casing, and an axle extending through said casing, of a'twoepart. protector detachably mounted in said casing, said protector'con-slsting of two plates sli ably connected together, said plateshaving semicircular openings formed therein, to embrace said axle, Babbitt metal carried by the ed es of said openings and engaging said axle, a ouble-acting spring mounted in the bottom of said casing, one end of said spring bearing against the casing, the other end of said spring bearing directly against one of the platesof the protector, said spring exertmg pressure in a vertical and lateral direction to hold said protector in an elevated position and in engagement with the wall of said casing, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a j ournal-box having a protector-casing and having the end of an axle journaled therein, of a protector mounted in said casing and surrounding said axle, said protector consisting of two p ates, I2 5 soft metal carried by the axle-contacting edges of said plates, a' double-acting sprin having coils and a laterally-projecting en said end bearing on the bottom of the casingcavity and said spring being adapted to ho d 1 0 said protector in an elevated position and in axlefni'e'ans to normally hold said protector engagement with one of the walls of the ca's in an elevated position and'in engagement ing, substantially as described. with one of the walls of said box, substan- 4.-The combination with a journal-box, tially as described. 7

5 having the end of an axle journaled therein, In testimony whereof I affix my signature 15 of a protector carried by said journal-box, in the presence of two witnesses. 1 and surrounding said axle, a Babbitt-metal PATRICK J. HARRIGAN. casting seated in the protector and in trans- Witnesses: verse openings extending through said pro- K. H. BUTLER,

1o tector and engaging the periphery of said E. E. POTTER. 

